Can Los Angeles Fix its Bad Transit?

Transit writer Alon Levy argues it will take more than system improvements to integrate public transit into L.A.'s urban fabric.

1 minute read

November 20, 2018, 11:00 AM PST

By Elana Eden


Metro Subway Los Angeles

Yusef El-Mansouri / Shutterstock

In a post on his blog Pedestrian Observations, Alon Levy explores the peculiar truth that Los Angeles is technically denser than New York, yet is still sprawling, car-centric, and difficult to serve with public transit.

Los Angeles is currently in the midst of a $120 billion expansion of its rail system, as well as a full redesign of its bus network. But Levy argues that to create comprehensive public transit, the city also needs to revise its approach to land use and urban design. After a deep dive comparing statistics on transit ridership, housing density, and job concentration in cities around the world, Levy concludes that the problem facing Los Angeles is where its density is located.

"In Los Angeles, there is no structure to density. There are some missing middle and mid-rise neighborhoods, but few form contiguous blobs of high density that can be served by a rapid transit line … Its dense areas are too far away from one another and from job centers.

... In Los Angeles there is exactly one way out: fix the urban design, and reinforce it with a strong rail network."

Sunday, November 11, 2018 in Pedestrian Observations

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today